Ever thought what it’s like being a conservation biologist? Experience this with the all new WildCRU boardgame that is both fun and educational! Support the kickstarter campaign HERE.
This game, co-designed by Cedric Tan and Jennifer Spencer, appeals to non-scientists to demonstrate some of the challenges faced by conservationists, the animals themselves, or the indigenous people who live with them.
Players work together cooperatively as WildCRU researchers to gather the resources to complete carnivore conservation projects across the globe. With stories taken directly from the real experiences of WildCRU researchers, players must choose an action for ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ encounters to gather the field equipment, research equipment, personnel, and transport resources for their projects. Players also answer multiple choice ‘Research questions’ based on actual WildCRU research to reveal the flora, herbivores, competitor carnivores, and their study species of their study site. The aim of the game is to complete the victory conditions of the chosen projects before a lose condition occurs. Players face the additional pressure of ‘Global Events’, which can cause serious problems for the players.
Co-designer Jennifer Spencer, an administrator at the WildCRU, says, “In developing this game, we chose six varied WildCRU projects including the Hwange Lion Research project, based in Zimbabwe, and the famous water vole study in the UK, to show players the breadth of WildCRU’s research.”
Co-designer Cedric Tan, a lecturer and researcher at WildCRU, shares his experience on playing the game with kids and adults, “It’s great to see that the game appeals to people of different age groups. Most have complimented on the unique immersive nature of the game in which players experience the challenges of real people, real situations and real research."
Interested in knowing more and getting an exclusive copy? Check out our thriller video and our Kickstarter. You can also contribute smaller amounts to support our cause to help local schools and communities. With innovative approaches, such as board games, WildCRU hopes to reach a wider variety of people, to increase environmental awareness and introduce them to the science and processes behind real-world conservation issues.
